


27

by PetrichorIllusions



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-24
Updated: 2015-01-24
Packaged: 2018-03-08 22:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3225173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PetrichorIllusions/pseuds/PetrichorIllusions
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were five years old when first they met.</p><p>Or, Combeferre and Courfeyrac through the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	27

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into 中文 available: [【中文翻译】27](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3296975) by [BriaBelleDean](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriaBelleDean/pseuds/BriaBelleDean)



> Based on [this](http://courfairydust.tumblr.com/post/102303409253/courferre-who-have-been-best-friends-since-they) post on Tumblr. (That link probably didn't work but I tried.) Originally posted on my tumblr courfairydust but I thought I'd procrastinate work and put it on here too.

They’re five years old, pushed together by a teacher who can’t keep an eye on both of them separately.

 

They’re six years old. The teachers don’t even bother to try separating them.

 

 

They’re eight, playing Kiss and Run, Combeferre hiding behind the bins. Courfeyrac appears – “Of course they couldn’t catch me!” Combeferre relaxes, and suddenly Courfeyrac’s lips are on his. He springs back, and they stare at each other for just a moment. “I might have been lying,” Courf says, and runs.

 

9, 10, 11.

 

They’re twelve, at their first real party. “Be back by ten.”  Combeferre’s mum had said. It’s half past nine, and they’re sat around talking about boyfriends and girlfriends. “So why aren’t you two dating?” someone asks. They glance at each other, and at the look on Courfeyrac’s face, Combeferre bursts out laughing. “That would be so _weird!”_ They exclaim.

 

13, 14.

 

15\. It’s at lunch when someone asks the same question this time. “Are you together?” Courfeyrac’s laughter rings out – “That would be so weird, right Ferre?” Combeferre’s eyes drop to the table. “Right.” He mutters after a moment. “Right, yeah, no. He’s my best friend, why would I want to _date_ him?” And it’s not that he has a list of reasons running through his mind. They’re best friends, why would he think anything like _that?_

 

They’re sixteen, and Combeferre is terrified about his exams. Courfeyrac grabs his shoulder and looks him in the eye, tells him he’ll be fine. When Result’s Day finally comes, they hug until their friends around them pointedly clear their throats. They break apart almost guiltily.

 

 

Eighteen, and Combeferre is the only one who’s seen Courfeyrac crying about the idea of going to university. Combeferre is also the only one who doesn’t know that Courfeyrac is really crying about the idea that he might lose him.

 

They’re nineteen, they’re at the same university. They’ve met Enjolras, they’re well on their way to setting up Les Amis. Everything is perfect. And if it took a couple of months to convince people they weren’t dating, well. It doesn’t matter what other people think of them, right?

 

 

21 and they’re graduating. Their mothers cried through the ceremony and now both of their families are together congratulating them. “Look at you two,” Courfeyrac’s mother coos. “I must admit though, I always thought you two would be boyfriends by now. You’re not secretly hiding it from me like Enjolras and Grantaire, are you?” They’re saved from traitorous thoughts by Enjolras’ spluttering behind them, but even so when Courf’s mum turns back from reassuring the blonde, they’re both somehow in deep discussion with two different family members. After that, they somehow end up barely seeing each other all night, ‘ _don’t ruin things’_ and ‘ _he only sees you as a friend’_ reverberating in each of their minds.

 

They’re twenty-two and Combeferre has a boyfriend. It’s not a one-night fling like Courfeyrac is so infamous for, “it’s serious, Courf.” And the reason that Courfeyrac is staying with Marius so often is to give Ferre space. It’s not that he’s heartbroken. It’s _not_. Combeferre is his best friend, it doesn’t matter who they are or aren’t dating.

 

They’re twenty-three. Combeferre’s relationship didn’t work out, and he knows exactly why.

 

24 and everyone is reunited, for tonight at least. It’s been almost twenty years since met each other, and just over five since they met everyone else. Marius and Cosette are still sickeningly sweet, Enjolras and Grantaire prove a point by not arguing for the entire night. Joly, Bossuet and Musichetta are giving out life advice, and it leads back - as all things eventually seem to do – to, “So tell us the story of why you two never dated.” It’s come up too many times now, they can’t just shrug it off and move on so easily here. They look at each other for a moment. “I guess it was just, is it worth the risk?” Courfeyrac says. ( _Yes_ , his mind answers.) “Exactly.” Says Combeferre. It’s Jehan who’s paying enough attention at this point to notice how their faces drop, how they each think the other believes the lie. But they _can’t_ say anything, they _can’t_ meddle, neither man would thank them for that. So they sigh, and try to work out how best to limit the damage.

 

25, 26.

 

27\. Marius and Cosette get married. Combeferre teases Courfeyrac gently when he cries. It’s a beautiful night. Later on in the year, Courfeyrac’s father dies unexpectedly. Combeferre drives the three-hour journey one-handed whilst Courf clings tightly to the other one. They don’t let go, not once. At the funeral, Ferre is sat in the front row along with the immediate family.

 

 

They’re twenty-nine. Marius and Cosette have new-born twins. Enjolras and Grantaire are still together. Musichetta will marry both of her boys just as soon as it becomes legal. Bahorel has finally left university and is starting a business with Feuilly. Éponine is basically a rock star. Combeferre and Courfeyrac don’t even bother attempting to date other people any more. At some point during the night, Enjolras observes a quiet conversation between the two of them. And suddenly he gets it. “Why don’t they say anything?” He whispers to Jehan. “Because they both think the other one sees them just as a friend.” They reply, with a smile that’s somewhere between wry and exasperated.

 

30\. Courfeyrac panics about being old for about three minutes before Combeferre outright laughs at him and tells him that he’s far too immature to be considered _old_. That one ends in a pillow fight.

 

Thirty-one, and they’re at the Not-About-Christmas Party that Joly and Bossuet and Musichetta hold each year. They’ve always had rules about how much they’re allowed to spend, but most of them are doing better for themselves now than they were straight out of college, so the standard this year is slightly higher. The champagne is better than ever before too, a passed-along contribution from Éponine. Courfeyrac is already half gone when he opens his own present. When Combeferre finds a signed, first-edition copy of his favourite book and looks at Courf like he wants to kiss him, Courfeyrac snaps. He stands, grabs Combeferre’s hand, and drags him out into the hall. “I love you.” He says. “I should have said something a long time ago, I know, it was wrong to keep something like this from you. But although I’ve only known since I was nineteen, I have loved you since we were five years old when the teacher made us-” And then Combeferre is kissing the words right out of his mouth. “We could have been doing this for _years_.” He gasps when they pull away. “What the hell is wrong with us?” “ _Nothing is wrong with us._ ” Courfeyrac says vehemently. “Not anymore.”

 

They’re 32 and they’re married and Combeferre turns to Courfeyrac and says, _finally_.


End file.
